Cherrington students talk with Westerville Mayor Craig Treneff and Vice Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi about their proposal to reduce waste.
Designing Westerville, a 2019 COSI Science Festival Series Event organized by Alcott teacher Linda Amici, drew a large crowd on Thursday evening, May 2. Working with students in the community, pupils identified authentic needs from their perspective, as well as the perspectives of community members of all ages. With the assistance of volunteers, collaboration of teachers, and inclusion of technology, youngsters imagined solutions to remedy these problems. Using sustained inquiry, they designed and created scientifically based prototypes of solution models.
The driving question was, “How can we, as young scientists, create a scientifically-based model to improve our community?” They presented their findings at the Designing Westerville symposium, where they shared design ideas, processes and prototypes with families and community members. Issues addressed included poverty, community relationships, traffic, pollution, safety, and habitat loss.